CHAPTER X.
POPULATION, CLIMATE, PRODUCTIONS, &C.
With regard to the population, climate, soil, productions, &c., we extract from Mr. King's Report, as giving the most reliable and complete information.
"Humboldt, in his 'Essay on New Spain,' states the population of Upper California, in 1802, to have consisted of
| Converted Indians, | 15,562 |
| Other classes, | 1,300 |
| 16,862 |
"Alexander Forbes, in his 'History of Upper and Lower California,' published in London, in 1839, states the number of converted Indians in the former to have been, in 1831,
| 18,683 | |
| Of all other classes, at | 4,342 |
| 23,025 |
"He expresses the opinion that this number had not varied much up to 1835, and the probability is, there was very little increase in the white population until the emigrants from the United States began to enter the country in 1838.
"They increased from year to year, so that, in 1846, Colonel Fremont had little difficulty in calling to his standard some five hundred fighting men.